If you were stopped, questioned, or arrested, it is important to PLEAD NOT GUILTY, and remember that a DUI arrest is not the same thing as a DUI conviction.

Tampa Bay drivers should expect heightened DUI enforcement near major attractions and heavily traveled roads where holiday traffic, nightlife, and tourism collide.  Areas targeted for extra enforcement are likely to include the downtown Tampa and St. Petersburg entertainment districts, Clearwater Beach, Ybor City, International Plaza, Busch Gardens, and the causeways and interstates that connect them. 

Roads and Interstates including I-275, I-4, US-19, the Courtney Campbell Causeway, the Howard Frankland Bridge, and busy beach corridors are common places for increased patrols, checkpoints, and traffic stops because officers know these routes see more late-night driving and impaired drivers. 

If you or someone you know is heading out in Tampa Bay, the safest move is to plan a sober ride, know that enforcement is often strongest around popular attractions and event traffic, and understand that a DUI stop in these areas can happen quickly and unexpectedly.
 

Police officers often build these cases from a mix of observations, roadside testing, and chemical testing. But each of those steps can be challenged. The reason for their stop matters, and a stop has to be lawful. The officer has to be able to explain why the driver was pulled over in the first place. 

Field sobriety tests are not perfect science, and they are often scored subjectively based on an officer’s interpretation. Breath testing depends on proper machine maintenance, correct calibration, and the right procedures. Blood testing can also be attacked if there are problems with handling, timing, or chain of custody.
 

If you or someone you know is facing a DUI arrest, it is important to not assume the case is over.  Anyone facing DUI should absolutely plead not guilty and make the state prove every part of its case.